Between 1939 and 1945 some 13 million men served in the German army — das Heer. Most were infantrymen who slogged their way, mostly on foot, from Finisterre to Moscow, Kirkenes to Tripoli. They swore unlimited obedience to Adolf Hitler and were ready to stake their lives for this oath.

Author Simon Forty looks in detail at the life and times of the German soldier, his life in training and in the field, his weapons, uniform and accoutrements, as well as a guide to the tactics he used in combat.